Motor-vehicle axle.



E. DE H. CALDWELL.

MOTOR VEHICLE AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13,1914.

E. DE H. CALDWELL.

MOTOR VEHICLE AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13,1914. gggfv Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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mii-lesse@ 'j EDWIN DE H. CALDWELL, OF DUNKIRK, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, i915.

.Application led January 13, 1914. Serial No. 811,873.

T all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN'DE II. CALD- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented A certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicle Axles; and I' do hereby de- .the axle,

clare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the .letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specilisation. Y

My invention relates to axles for motor- -vehicles, and particularly to the rear or driving axle of such vehicles. 4

The object of my' invention is to eliminate from such axle the journal bearings commonly employed to support the differential gear in the intermediate portion of fthe axle. rIhisv I accomplish by providing a rod or shaft which extends from one wheel to lthe other wheel, entirely through upon which the differential gear may be supported, and which rod or shaft,

Figure l, is a rear view, partly in eleva' tion, and partly in longitudinal central section, of a motor vehicle axle embodyingr my invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged View of a portion of a motor vehicle axle partially in 'elevation and partially in longitudinal centmal section, with portions thereof broken away. Fig. 3, is a' transverse section of the same onthe line --m in Fig. 2. Fig. 4t, is a longitudinal central section of a motor vehicle axle embodying my invention, showing an alternative construction of the same.

vIn these drawings A, indicates a rod or shaft, which extends entirely through the axle mechanism from one wheel to the other, and is provided on-its ends with nuts .0., and washers a. On the intermediate .portion of the rod A, I place the miter gear wheels B B, of a .differential gear, which wheels B B, are provided with hubs Y); these hubs b, are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as being provided with notches b, at the outer ends thereof. Upon the hubs b, of the miter gear wheels B B, I pla'ce the supporting disks C C, of the worm gear D, between which are journaled miter pinions E, which intermesh with the two miter gear wheels B B, in the usual manner. The supporting disks C C, are secured together against the worm gear rin gl), by means of bolts d.

It is, of course evident'from the foregoing and from the drawings, that the several parts of the differential gear shown and described, must be assembled upon the hubs b, of the miter gears B, and that thereafter the rod A, can be inserted therethrough, if desired. l Upon the rod A, outside ofthe notched hubs b b, I place sleeves b2 o2, which sleeves are shown in these drawings as integral with the hubs b t, or they may extend entirely through both hubs 71 in the form of bushing, if desired. Upon the outer ends of the rod A, I place short sleeves F, and upon the sleeves I?, and the sleeves b2, I place hollow drive shafts G G, which are preferably provided with teeth g, on their inner ends, which engage the notches 7)', on the hubs', so that said hollow drive shafts are engaged by4 said hubs as .by dental clutches, and are thereby caused to rotate by said miter gear wheels B B. The hollow shafts Gr G, extend from the hubs Z) to the outer ends of the sleeves F F, on the rod A. Upea the hollow shafts Gr' G, adjacent to the outer end of` each, I place an outer sleeve H, which is preferably provided with dentalelutch lteeth Il', on its outer end, and with circumferential screw threads h, around an intermediate portion thereof. Upon the inner ends of these outer sleeves H, I place c-ies J, for the anti-friction rollers J', and upon the screw threads It, I place a screw collar K, by means of which the cones J, may be adjusted longitudinally of the hollow shaft (if. The collar K, is also preferably provided with a set screw 1c, Afor locking it against rotation. The sleeves H, and lk'and hollow shafts G, are lockedl preferably together by means of screw pins I, (see Fig. 3) so that they will all turn together. Upon the. outer ends of the hollow shafts G, I place hubs M, of yehiele'wheels,

lOO

l M, is also the inner ends of which hubs are provided with teeth lm., to engage the dental vclutch teeth H", on the outer sleeve H. The hub lm, to engage the ends of the hollow shaft G, and inner sleeve` F, on its inner face, and the washer a', on its when the nut a, rand washer on the ends of the rod A, all of the parts hereinbefore described, viz the wheel hubs M, hollow shafts G, and differential hubs b, will be held in engagement.

Mounted upon anti-friction rollers J', I place a cup `N, which is inclosed within each end n, of the tubular axle housing N', the intermediate portion of which housing is enlarged sufliciently to receive the differa, are in place ential gear worm wheel I). Within the l housing N", I mount a driving worm O, which intermeshes with the worm wheel D, inthe usual manner. v

While I have shown a worm drive in these drawings, it is, of course evident to a mechanic skilled in the art, tha any other suitable type of driving geal' may be employedas may be desired, without departing from. the spirit of my invention.

y In Fig. 4, I have shown an alternative construction of mechanism embodying my invention, in which I have substituted kevs P, between the hubs b, of the miter gears B, and the hollow shaft G, for the dentallutch teeth b, and the keys Q, between tl outer ends of the hollow shafts G, and the wheel hubs M, and have eliminated the outer i sleeve H, shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, and ex- -tended the wheel hub M, inwardly sufiiciently to mount the cones J, and screw collars K, directly thereon, thus eliminating the dental clutch teeth H', and screw-pins L. In this alternative construction the inner sleeve F, is provided with a radial flange f, on' its outer end, which abuts against the outer end of the -wheel hub lil, so as to pre vent the sleeve F, from moving inward on the rod A, and the washern, and nut a', prevents the sleeve F, hollow shaft G, and wheel hub M, from moving longitudinally out of the housing-N. Y

,From the foregoing it will be evident that by means of the longitudinally adjustable screw-collars K, the longitudinal position o f the` worm wheel D, with relation to the Worr'nO, can be adjusted as may be desired.

From the foregoing ldescription of the construction of my invention, the operation thereof is believed lto be so obvious that further description thereof is unnecessary. It will also be obvious that the differential gear `is entirely supported upon the rod A, and that the power of the motor is transmitted to the vehicle wheels only through the hollow shaft G.

Having thus-fully shown and described .v my invention so as to enable othersmto' provided with an inturned flange 'v on' each end' thereof,

outer face, so that .inclosing said Journal bearings 1n the ends of said tubular adaptedv to maintain Y,

triqspaced relation to said shafts, and meas massager Seeed@ desireto secure by LettersPatent, is

l. The combination in a motor vehiclev axle, of a rod, a vehicle wheel loosely secured a pair of inwardly facing bevel gears rotatably supported on said rod, tubular hubs on said bevel gears extending outwardly therefrom, a gear wheel mounted on the hubs of said bevel gear wheels and adapted to prevent said gears from spreading apart, bevel gearv pinions journaled in said gear wheel and intermeshing with said bevel gear wheels, and tubular shz-z'ts inclosing said rod and nonrctatably engaging said tubularhubs,

4and reid vehicle wheels, substantially assetv forth.

2. The combination in a'motor vehicle axle, of a rod extending pair of inwardly `facing bevel gears rotatably supported on said rod, tubular hubs on said bevel gears extending outwardly therefrom, a gear wheel journaled on said tubular hubs and adapted to prevent said bevel gears from spreading apart, bevel gear bevel gear wheels,

each side of and non-rotatably engaging said tubular hubs, a vehicle wheel nonrotatably secured .on the outer end of each of said hollow shafts, a tubular axle housing gears and hollow shafts, and

axle housing adapted to support the same in spaced relation to said hollow shafts and gears, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a motor vehicle axle, vof a rod extending therethrough,'a differential gear mechanism supported thereon, vehicle wheelson the ends of said rod, Ameans to retain saidl wheels thereon, a hollow shaft-atl each side of and non-rotatably engaging'said differential gear, and said vehicle wheels, a tubular housing inclosing said differential gear and hollow shafts, journal bearings in the ends thereof said housing in concejavdapted to adjust said housing longitudilnally with relation to said hollow shafts and differential gear,

substantiallyA as set forth.

therethrough, a l

plnions journaledin said gear wheeland intermeshing with said inwardly facing a'sleeve on each endof 7 v said rod, hollow shafts inclosingsaid rod at 4. The combination in a motor vehicle axle, of a rod extending therethrough, a pair of inwardly facing .bevel gear wheels on said nrod, tubular hubs on said bevel gear wheels extending outwardly therefrom, a gear wheel mounted on the hubs of said bevel gear wheels, bevel gear pinions journaled inv said gear v with said bevel gear wheelsl on said rod, hollow shafts' on said rod-nonrotatably engaging each of` said 'bevel gear" wheel hubs,

wheel and intermeshing 'the in outer ends of each of said hollow shafts, and means on the ends of said rod to retain said Vehicle wheels, hollow shafts, and bevel gear hubs in engagement, substantially as set forth.

5. rlhe combination in a motor vehicle axle, of\`a rod' extending therethrough, a

differential gear supported thereon, a hollow*4 shaft supported in concentric, spaced relation to said rod, and non-rotatably engaging one side of said dierential gear, a Vehicle wheel on said hollow shaft, inwardly projecting teeth on the hub of said wheel, la sleeve rotatably secured on said hollow shaft, teeth thereon engaging said inwardly wheel, means on pro]ecting teeth on the hub of said vehicle the end of said rod to retain said teeth in engagement, a tubular housing inclosing said differential gear and hollow shaft, and journal bearing mechanism 'inthe end of said housing to maintain said housing in concentric spaced relation to said hollow shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in' presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN im H. CALDWELL. Witnesses:

P. V. GIFFORD,

H. M. STURGEON. 

